Address by Sir Peter Buck [Te Rangi Hiroa] at a civic reception held in his honour, in Dunedin on February 24, 1949. He speaks of his early days as a medical student in Dunedin, his work in the Health Department, his political career, military service in World War I, anthropology and the Bishop Museum in Hawaii.
Part 1. [Applause] Peter Buck thanks the audience for the civic reception they have given him. He lived in Dunedin for over six years and knows what a great city it is. He first came as a medical student in 1899, so this year is the 50th anniversary of that event. He came 'in fear and trembling' as it was a big thing for Māori to enter university in those days, especially a difficult school like the Medical School. He and Tutere Wi Repa both came from Te Aute College on government scholarships. They were horrified to see a list of prices posted for parts of Māori skeletons and nearly quit, but eventually they came to terms with it.
He graduated in 1904 and went into the Health Department.
Northern Māori Member of Parliament Hōne Heke [Ngāpua] formed the Young Māori Party in 1908; he died in 1909 and various chiefs and Sir James Carroll took his body back to Northland. At a formal gathering of chiefs there, Heke's mother made a speech and suggested his widow should remarry Te Rangi Hiroa. He won the by-election for the Northern Māori seat. He speaks about his early political career and the retirement of Sir Apirana Ngata.
[Ends mid-sentence]
Part 2. He briefly recalls his experiences in the First World War. He was defeated in the 1914 election, which he says was fortunate as he was not really suited to politics, and went off to war as Medical Officer with the First Māori Contingent, with the rank of Captain. As a medical man, he drew extra pay as well.
The contingent went to Gallipoli with two companies of 250 men each and came off with only 120 men. They weren't all killed, but there were heavy casualties and illness, such as dysentery.
They were reorganised in Egypt after the evacuation of Gallipoli and the New Zealand troops became a full division, whereas on Gallipoli they had been with the Australians.
The Māori became a Pioneer Battalion, which were something like engineers. He says engineers usually have an infantry battalion to do the unskilled labour, while the engineers supply the brains. However, the Pioneer Battalion were supposed to supply a certain amount of engineering knowledge, but to do all the work also.
There were 1000 men in the battalion: two companies of Māori and two of Pākehā, formed from the Otago Mounted Rifles.
They had no senior officers, as the captains of the two Māori companies on Gallipoli had been sent back to New Zealand, wounded or sick and there were no other senior Māori officers. The Generals felt - and the Māori in New Zealand also, that they wanted to be represented in some office in the composite battalion. So the General sent for him and said, "Buck, we want you to take over the position of second-in-command of the Pioneer Battalion." Buck says he replied he had no infantry experience or training, but the General said that didn't matter, as they wanted him because of his position amongst the Māori. He agreed to do what he was told, but the next morning the General called him back in and said he hadn't realised that the promotion for Buck, from Captain to Major, would mean he would lose money. This was because he was being promoted out of the Medical Corps to the Infantry, and therefore was losing "five bob a day" in his extra medical pay. He lost five shillings a day, but eventually got it in back pay and that helped him buy a house back in New Zealand.
He then talks about his work back in New Zealand as Director of Māori Hygiene with the Health Department. He says he needed to use his knowledge of traditional Māori customs and language in order to win over the older chiefs. This lead to his study of anthropology.
When he was in Parliament he and the other three Māori MPs talked over the need for more in-depth study of Māori anthropology by people who knew Māori well. The Board of Māori Ethnological Research and the Māori Purposes Fund Board were therefore created.
Part 3. The Māori Purposes Fund Board is currently printing a book he has written, 'The Coming of the Māori'.
He felt because of his medical background he was best suited to physical and technical anthropology. He talks about his study of Māori material culture, such as weaving and carving. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
This work lead to him wanting to know what crafts and technology Māori had brought with them from Polynesia, from Hawaiiki.
This lead to the Bishop Museum inviting him to join them to do research in Polynesia, and they were paying very well.
He decided to take up the offer and left the Department of Health and went to Honolulu to do research, initially just for five years. However the museum had an affiliation with Yale University.
Part 4. Not held in archive.
Part 5. He explains the Māori proverb about 'the new net going fishing'. There is now new opportunity for young Māori leaders.
He says he has noted in his visit to Māori settlements in the North Island that prominent Europeans are now invited to speak at gatherings, as well as Māori leaders; such as local mayors, members of parliament etc.
He is optimistic about the relationship between Pakeha and Māori and the future of New Zealand.
An unidentified man [ probably the Mayor of Dunedin ?] calls on Councillor E.J. Anderson to speak.
He thanks 'His Worship" and then thanks Sir Peter Buck and his wife.
[Ends mid-sentence]